MANAGEMENT OF RECEIVABLES[/b]
Meaning:[/b]
· Receivables represent amounts owed to the firm as a result of sale of goods or services in the business.
· Receivables results from credit sales
· It forms a part of current assets.
· Also known as Accounts receivable, trade receivables, customer receivables and book debts.
· The purpose of maintaining or investing in receivables is to meet competition and to increase the sales and profits.
COST OF MAINTAINING RECEIVABLES:[/b]
1. Cost of financing receivables:[/b]
· Concern incurs some costs for collecting receivables
2. Cost of collection:[/b]
· Proper collection of receivables is essential for receivables management.
· Customers who do not pay the money during a stipulated credit period are sent reminders for payment or sent some persons for collecting the amount.
· All these costs are known as collection cost
3. Bad debts:[/b]
· Amount which the customer fail to pay are known as bad debts.
· Concern may able to reduce bad debts through efficient collection machinery
Factors influencing the size of receivables:[/b]
1. Size of credit sales
2. Credit policies
3. Terms of trade
4. Expansion plans
5. Relation with profits
6. Credit collection efforts
7. Habits of customers
Forecasting the receivables:[/b]
Forecasting the receivables is an estimation which will help the concern in planning its receivables. The following factors will help in forecasting receivables:
1. Credit period allowed:[/b]
· The ageing of receivables is helpful in forecasting
· Longer the amounts remain due, the higher will be the size of receivables
· Increase in receivables will result in more profits as well as higher costs too
· Collection expenses and bad debts will also be more.
· If credit period is less, then the size of receivables will also be less
2. Effect of cost of goods sold:[/b]
· Increase in sales results in decrease in cost of goods sold.
· Sales should be increased to that extent where costs are low.
3. Forecasting expenses:[/b]
· Receivables are associated with number of expenses
· Costs of receivables are more than the income, further credit sales should not be allowed.
4. Forecasting average collection period and discounts:[/b]
· Average collection period is more than the size of receivables will be more.
· Average collection period:
X No.of working days
5. Average size of receivables:[/b]
· Determination of average size of receivables will helpful in forecasting receivables.
· Average size of receivables:
= Estimated annual sales X Average collection period
DIMENSIONS OF RECEIVABLES MANAGEMENT:[/b]
Receivables management involves the following aspects:
1. Forming of credit policy:[/b]
· Every company must adopt a credit policy. Credit policy relates to
a. Quality of Trade accounts or credit standards[/b]:
· Volume of sales will be influenced by the credit policy of a concern.
· By liberalizing credit policy, the sales will be increased,
· The increased volume of sales will be increased the cost and risk of bad debts
· Credit to only creditworthy customers will save costs like bad debt losses, collection costs and investigation costs etc
· Quality of trade accounts should be decided so that credit facilities are extended only upto the optimum level.
b. Length of credit period:[/b]
· It means the period allowed to the customers for making the payment
· Customers paying well in time also be allowed certain cash discount.
· Concern fixes its own terms of credit depending upon its customers and volume of sales.
c. Cash discount:[/b]
· Cash discount is allowed to immediate payment of customers
· Discount allowed involves cost
· Financial manager compare the cost of discount and the amount of fund realized
· Discount should be allowed only if its cost is less than the earnings.
d. Discount period:[/b]
· Collection of receivables influenced by the period allowed for availing discount
· Additional period allowed for this facility may prompt some more customers to avail discount and make payments.
2. Executing credit policy:[/b]
· After formulating credit policy proper execution is important.
· Evaluation of credit applications and finding out the credit worthiness of customers should be undertaken
a. Collecting credit information:[/b]
· Collecting credit information about the customers is the first step in implementing credit policy.
· Information should be adequate and proper analysis about the financial position of the customers is possible.
· Sources of collecting credit information are financial statements, credit rating agencies, reports from banks etc.
b. Credit analysis:[/b]
· After gathering information , analyse the creditworthiness of the customer
· Credit analysis will determine the degree of risk associated, the capacity of the customer to borrow and his ability and willingness to pay.
c. Credit decision:[/b]
· After analyzing the creditworthiness of the customer, decision has to take whether the credit is to be extended and then upto what level.
· Match the creditworthiness of the customer with the credit standard of the company.
· If customers creditworthiness is above the credit standards then the credit is allowed.
3. Formulating and executing collection policy:[/b]
· Collection policy be termed as Strict and Lenient.
· Strict policy of collection will involve more efforts on collection
· Such policy will enable early collection of dues and will reduce bad debts losses.
· It may also reduce the volume of sales.
· Some customers may not appreciate the efforts of the concern and may shift to another concern thus causing reduced sales and profits.
· A lenient policy may increase the debt collection period and more bad debt losses.
· Collection policy should devise the following steps:
§ Sending a reminder for payments
§ Personal request through telephone etc
§ Personal visits to the customers
§
Meaning:[/b]
· Receivables represent amounts owed to the firm as a result of sale of goods or services in the business.
· Receivables results from credit sales
· It forms a part of current assets.
· Also known as Accounts receivable, trade receivables, customer receivables and book debts.
· The purpose of maintaining or investing in receivables is to meet competition and to increase the sales and profits.
COST OF MAINTAINING RECEIVABLES:[/b]
1. Cost of financing receivables:[/b]
· Concern incurs some costs for collecting receivables
2. Cost of collection:[/b]
· Proper collection of receivables is essential for receivables management.
· Customers who do not pay the money during a stipulated credit period are sent reminders for payment or sent some persons for collecting the amount.
· All these costs are known as collection cost
3. Bad debts:[/b]
· Amount which the customer fail to pay are known as bad debts.
· Concern may able to reduce bad debts through efficient collection machinery
Factors influencing the size of receivables:[/b]
1. Size of credit sales
2. Credit policies
3. Terms of trade
4. Expansion plans
5. Relation with profits
6. Credit collection efforts
7. Habits of customers
Forecasting the receivables:[/b]
Forecasting the receivables is an estimation which will help the concern in planning its receivables. The following factors will help in forecasting receivables:
1. Credit period allowed:[/b]
· The ageing of receivables is helpful in forecasting
· Longer the amounts remain due, the higher will be the size of receivables
· Increase in receivables will result in more profits as well as higher costs too
· Collection expenses and bad debts will also be more.
· If credit period is less, then the size of receivables will also be less
2. Effect of cost of goods sold:[/b]
· Increase in sales results in decrease in cost of goods sold.
· Sales should be increased to that extent where costs are low.
3. Forecasting expenses:[/b]
· Receivables are associated with number of expenses
· Costs of receivables are more than the income, further credit sales should not be allowed.
4. Forecasting average collection period and discounts:[/b]
· Average collection period is more than the size of receivables will be more.
· Average collection period:
X No.of working days
5. Average size of receivables:[/b]
· Determination of average size of receivables will helpful in forecasting receivables.
· Average size of receivables:
= Estimated annual sales X Average collection period
DIMENSIONS OF RECEIVABLES MANAGEMENT:[/b]
Receivables management involves the following aspects:
1. Forming of credit policy:[/b]
· Every company must adopt a credit policy. Credit policy relates to
a. Quality of Trade accounts or credit standards[/b]:
· Volume of sales will be influenced by the credit policy of a concern.
· By liberalizing credit policy, the sales will be increased,
· The increased volume of sales will be increased the cost and risk of bad debts
· Credit to only creditworthy customers will save costs like bad debt losses, collection costs and investigation costs etc
· Quality of trade accounts should be decided so that credit facilities are extended only upto the optimum level.
b. Length of credit period:[/b]
· It means the period allowed to the customers for making the payment
· Customers paying well in time also be allowed certain cash discount.
· Concern fixes its own terms of credit depending upon its customers and volume of sales.
c. Cash discount:[/b]
· Cash discount is allowed to immediate payment of customers
· Discount allowed involves cost
· Financial manager compare the cost of discount and the amount of fund realized
· Discount should be allowed only if its cost is less than the earnings.
d. Discount period:[/b]
· Collection of receivables influenced by the period allowed for availing discount
· Additional period allowed for this facility may prompt some more customers to avail discount and make payments.
2. Executing credit policy:[/b]
· After formulating credit policy proper execution is important.
· Evaluation of credit applications and finding out the credit worthiness of customers should be undertaken
a. Collecting credit information:[/b]
· Collecting credit information about the customers is the first step in implementing credit policy.
· Information should be adequate and proper analysis about the financial position of the customers is possible.
· Sources of collecting credit information are financial statements, credit rating agencies, reports from banks etc.
b. Credit analysis:[/b]
· After gathering information , analyse the creditworthiness of the customer
· Credit analysis will determine the degree of risk associated, the capacity of the customer to borrow and his ability and willingness to pay.
c. Credit decision:[/b]
· After analyzing the creditworthiness of the customer, decision has to take whether the credit is to be extended and then upto what level.
· Match the creditworthiness of the customer with the credit standard of the company.
· If customers creditworthiness is above the credit standards then the credit is allowed.
3. Formulating and executing collection policy:[/b]
· Collection policy be termed as Strict and Lenient.
· Strict policy of collection will involve more efforts on collection
· Such policy will enable early collection of dues and will reduce bad debts losses.
· It may also reduce the volume of sales.
· Some customers may not appreciate the efforts of the concern and may shift to another concern thus causing reduced sales and profits.
· A lenient policy may increase the debt collection period and more bad debt losses.
· Collection policy should devise the following steps:
§ Sending a reminder for payments
§ Personal request through telephone etc
§ Personal visits to the customers
§